HAMPSTEAD – The Jacksonville football team never really allowed Topsail to establish any sort of momentum or sustained drives Friday night.

And the Cardinals scored from all angles in rolling to a 35-0 win.

“I thought the kids played well all-around from offense to defense to special teams,” Jacksonville coach Beau Williams said. I was impressed with their attitudes and with the way they got after it today.”

Tyshawn Siders set the tone for the second half and the game with a 77-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to start the third quarter. The result: a 21-0 lead.

“That was a good way to open the second half,” Williams said. “Then we had a three-and-one and we came back and scored again.”

After a subsequent Pirates punt following Siders’ score, it took the Cardinals (4-1) only three plays to extend the lead to 28-0. Quarterback Exelman Adams hit Trevon Ellis for a 36-yard scoring strike.

“We had opportunities early and did not take advantage of them,” Topsail coach Wayne Inman said. “When you're playing a team that has that much skill, they'll make you pay for it and they did.”

Jacksonville wrapped up the scoring with a 13-yard burst up the middle by Adams on the first play of the fourth quarter. Jermaine Linton paced the Cardinals rushing attack with 114 yards on eight carries.

Topsail running backs Tyrekus Cooper and Wayland Batson did turn in some tough yardage on the ground. Cooper finished with 82 yards on 14 carries and Batson posted 50 yards on 14 carries.

“We're going to battle," Inman said. “We're going to try to get everybody healthy. We're sort of beat up. “Every game is a learning experience and this one definitely is.”

The Cardinals took an early 6-0 lead on Linton's 36-yard touchdown sprint, with 4:56 left in the first quarter. With 9:37 remaining in the second period, Adams hit Malik Collins with a 10-yard alley-oop pass in the end zone. With a 2-point conversion, the Cardinals led 14-0.

They took the two-touchdown advantage into the break.

The Pirates’ defense picked off two passes in the first half, one by Tyler Andrews and one by Grant McCoy. But they were not able to convert the turnovers into points.

Topsail starting quarterback Nick Altilio was not able to play in the second half due to an injury.

Jacksonville will travel to Swansboro next week.Topsail (3-2) will open its first Mideastern Conference season Friday at Hoggard.